FSU Seminoles

A week ago, Jimbo Fisher shrugged off suggestions that he'd found a new look for his offensive line, assuring early practice shake-ups were simply a matter of getting a few different looks to see who could handle the job.

After Tuesday's morning practice session, however, Fisher sounded like a man who had found a lineup he thinks could stick for a while.

Fisher said junior college transfers Daniel Glauser and Menelik Watson are the only two players getting serious looks at right tackle for the moment, while last year's starter, Bobby Hart, has been relegated to the second-team left tackle spot.

"Those two guys (Glauser and Watson) are playing right now at right tackle, and they're doing some really good things," Fisher said.

Glauser has gotten the vast majority of the first-team reps since last Wednesday, with Bryan Stork moving inside to center, where he, too, appears to have established himself in the role.

"He's done a really good job at center," Fisher said. "A guy inside at 312 pounds, he's making the calls, doing a really good job."

Fisher didn't rule out the possibility that Stork could move back to tackle, where he ended the spring, or that Hart could still push for a job, but thus far he's been pleased with what he's seen from the two newcomers.

"Those two guys have really shown some good things at tackle," he said. "We've got four quality tackles in my opinion."

Brooks in blue

Starting safety Terrence Brooks was in a blue non-contact jersey for the bulk of Tuesday's early practice, though Fisher downplayed the significance.

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Editor's note: RecruitingNation is taking a look at the state of each team's brand.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- On the first day, it rained.

A day later, it rained again, and on through the rest of Florida State's first week of practice, forcing the Seminoles to move workouts to the wee hours of the morning, with players taking the field long before the sun rose.

"It's another reason for us to get this indoor facility," quarterback EJ Manuel said. "Win a national championship and maybe we'll get one next year."

Manuel's aside was meant to be humorous, but it underscores the reality of life on the margins of college football's elite.

A decade ago, things were different. Florida State was dominant, a perennial top-five team and the prototype by which other programs were measured. But the new millennium has not been kind to the Seminoles, once the crown jewel of the ACC but now overshadowed by SEC neighbors such as Alabama, Florida and LSU.

If the Seminoles want the perks that come with excellence, like that indoor practice facility -- there is no more room for mediocrity.

"Winning is everything, so when you don't win, your brand takes a move back," FSU athletics director Randy Spetman said. "It puts huge expectations on us, and we've got to come through with that. And I think we will."

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While college football is stuck waiting for a playoff, recruiting is moving at light speed and coaches have quickly learned that today's prospects are more equipped than ever to handle it. Read Mitch Sherman's story.

Speedy ESPN 150 athlete Levonte Whitfield (Orlando, Fla./Jones) became the second commitment to join the Seminoles 2013 class in as many days with his announcement on Monday.

The 5-foot-9, 176-pound prospect chose the Seminoles over Clemson, Florida, Miami, Ohio State and West Virginia.

"I like FSU," Whitfield said. "I think Coach Jimbo [Fisher] can get them back to their old level."

Whitfield put on a good showing at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for the Champion Gridiron Kings event in late July, showcasing top-class pace that made it difficult for defenders to account for.

He's the also the second FSU commitment in as many years to be a quality track athlete from Orlando -- following Boone High School's Marvin Bracy from the class of 2012.

"Track is important to me, too," he said. "They have a strong program."

Whitfield, who sports "Kermit" as a nickname, becomes the Seminoles 18th pledge following ESPN 300 defensive end Davin Bellamy's (Chamblee, Ga./Chamblee) commitment Saturday afternoon. The two prospects give Florida State 12 commits in the ESPN 300.

Heather Dinich says the ACC slogan this year could be "passing lane only" because of the talent returning at quarterback.